CLEP Test: Cut Tuition by Testing Out

If you want college credits but can’t afford tuition bills, CLEP exams may be a great money-saving solution.

The College-Level Examination Program lets you earn college credit based on knowledge you already have. There are 34 different CLEP exams. The most popular is the Spanish language exam, according to Ariel Foster, executive director of the CLEP program, who said more than 26,000 people took the Spanish exam last year.

Other popular examinations include: English composition, college algebra, introductory sociology, and analyzing and interpreting literature. Overall, more than 200,000 CLEP examinations were administered last year; a third of these were administered to active-duty military, who can take the exams at no cost.

The CLEP program is operated by the College Board, which also handles the SAT and the Advanced Placement (AP) programs. CLEP tests are offered in subjects most commonly taught in the first two years of an undergraduate degree program. More than 2,900 colleges grant credit for one or more CLEP examinations, making it the most widely recognized college credit by examination program.

With a satisfactory score on a CLEP test, you can earn from three to 12 college credits. Pass enough CLEP tests, and it’s possible to “test out” of some—if not all—of your first year or two of college.

What CLEP Costs You
Compared to paying for a year or two of college tuition, CLEP tests are a downright steal.

“The $70 CLEP examination fee and $15 to 20 administration fee paid to the college, for a total outlay of just under $100 per test, is substantially less cost than tuition at most colleges in the United States,” says Foster.

The potential for huge savings on college fees was a big incentive for Cindy Lail of Lawrenceville, Ga., who made CLEP testing a family affair.

“Both my daughter and I have experience with CLEP,” says Lail. “I went back to college in my late 40s and wanted to finish up the degree I'd started 20 years earlier as quickly as I could.  So I searched for CLEPs that would take care of some of the ‘grunt work’ classes.  I studied about two weeks and passed the U.S. history test easily.  Then another two weeks and I took psychology. I didn’t study at all for the English test. Getting credit for three classes for about $75 each? That really beats tuition.”